Positive India:New Delhi:
Modi Govt has launched Special Schemes for INTER-LINKING of rivers of India.
The National Perspective Plan (NPP) was prepared by the then Ministry of Irrigation (now Ministry of Jal Shakti) in August 1980 for water resources development through inter basin transfer of water, for transferring water from water surplus basins to water-deficit basins. Under the NPP, the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has identified 30 links (16 under Peninsular Component & 14 under Himalayan Component) for preparation of Feasibility Reports (FRs). The details of above river linking projects viz., rivers, States concerned is given as under.
Under the Peninsular Component of NPP, the following 14 links are envisaged in the Southern part of India:
Mahanadi (Manibhadra) -Godavari (Dowlaiswaram) link
Godavari (Inchampalli) – Krishna (Pulichintala) link
Godavari (Inchampalli) – Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) link
Godavari (Polavaram) – Krishna (Vijayawada) link
Krishna (Almatti) – Pennar link
Krishna (Srisailam) – Pennar link
Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) – Pennar (Somasila ) link
Pennar (Somasila) – Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link
Cauvery (Kattalai) – Vaigai -Gundar link
Par-Tapi-Narmada link
Damanganga – Pinjal link
Bedti – Varda link
Netravati – Hemavati link
Pamba – Achankovil – Vaippar link
Out of the above 14 links, the following 8 link projects involve Narmada, Godavari and Krishna rivers.
Mahanadi (Manibhadra) – Godavari (Dowlaiswaram) link
Godavari (Polavaram)–Krishna (Vijayawada) (Implemented by Govt. of AP)
Godavari (Inchampalli) –Krishna (Pulichintala) link
Godavari (Inchampalli)– Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) link
Krishna (Nagarjunasagar)–Pennar (Somasila) link
Krishna (Srisailam) – Pennar link
Krishna (Almatti) – Pennar link
Par-Tapi –Narmada link project
The Pre-Feasibility Reports (PFRs) and FRs of the links under SI no. 1 to 8 above including the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Par-Tapi-Narmada link project were already completed and circulated to party States. Pending consensus on Manibhadra and Inchampalli dams due to large submergence, alternate study to divert unutilized waters of Indravati sub-basin of Godavari basin have been carried out and the DPR viz. Godavari (Inchampalli barrage)-Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link project has also been completed and circulated to party States. The details of rivers to be linked under inter- linking are already included in Annexure. The Special committee for Interlinking of Rivers (ILR), after considering the views of all the stakeholders, is proceeding ahead to expedite the objectives of the interlinking of rivers in a consultative and cooperative manner. The implementation of the ILR projects involves various steps such as perpetration of PFRs/FRs of links, negotiation and consensus among concerned States, preparation of DPRs of the projects, clearance from appraisal agencies which includes clearance by Ministry of Environment & Forests and Climate Change and Ministry of Tribal Affairs, techno-economic clearance by Advisory Committee on Irrigation, Flood control & Multipurpose Projects of Ministry of Jal Shakti, investment clearance and the construction time required for the completion of the projects as per the DPR.
Thus, the implementation of the INTER-LINKING projects will take varying periods of time. An ILR project would reach the implementation stage when all the statutory clearances are taken and an agreement is reached amongst party states from the implementation of the project.
This Information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti & Tribal Affairs, Shri Bishweswar Tudu in Rajya Sabha today.
Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) & (b) of Unstarred Question No. 73 to be answered in Rajya Sabha on 19.07.2021 regarding “SPECIAL SCHEME FOR INTER-LINKING OF RIVERS”.
